Can a Cat Catch Its Tail?

It’s a rhetorical question, but can it?  Today, I felt like that cat….I never did catch my tail, but as the evening grows late, I am catching my breath.  Breath deeply………….exhale.  It will all get done, and if it doesn’t….oh, well.

I found the bike shoes I need online.  I ordered them yesterday, to be overnighted to me.  Cudos to the young man in upstate New York that took my order.  He said that 12 inches of snow had just been dumped on them and he didn't even know if UPS was going to send their trucks out. He promised he would get them to me no matter what, and he did. They arrived this morning before I had even finished my coffee.  I am very appreciative and impressed!

Here is something to ponder.....how do these companies come up with the names to designate the various sizes in equipment?    I have Sidi  'mega' shoes and my saddle is designated 'plus'....kinda gives a girl a complex, if you know what I mean.  {{Sigh}}

The Fifty Pound Decison

Standing in front of my 'pile' of things to pack, I am overwhelmed......  Only fifty pounds of it can go, and that includes all my bike equipment.  What to choose, what to pack?  That is the decision, or rather, lack of decision.  Emails have been flying these last few days between participants looking for the same answers, and adding to the chaos of my own thoughts.  Some are putting racks and panniers on their bikes; others are adding fenders: some are bringing ear plugs (in case we have some ‘loud’ sleepers) and others feel waterproof socks are a must. This strange weather is also contributing to the lack of clarity….will it continue to be unseasonably cold and wet, or hot and humid, as in years past?  What to bring, what to bring?

....Margaritas are sounding like a good idea right now…..

Rubber Chickens and Opportunity.

Today, my focus was to get organized and ready to go--that included taking care of personal and professional business, packing, getting taxes done, etc, but those rubber chickens kept popping up.

I have been working almost a month to get an investment property to close.....(the seller's misplaced the deed).  Today, I got a call that it will close tomorrow at 10 AM--I am thrilled it is finally closing, but the timing is rotten. I am scrambling to get everything in place for tomorrow as well as making sure the rehab plans are ready to go as well as finding someone to oversee it while I am gone.  Run, run, run.  It will all work out, but I can't be attached to how it gets done....in other words, I have to let go of control and trust....

Then I got fitted for my bike; I do this every year so my comfort levels are optimized (my joints and muscles thank me)  I had a lot of changes this year--shortened the stem, pushed back the brake levers, tilted the handle bars up, raised the seat, moved my clips......  Now I understand why I had so many aches and pains while riding last year; I wasn't fitted to my bike properly...and I just thought I was getting old!  The big shocker, however,  was discovering that my shoes (purchased last year) are a size too big and the clips were in the wrong position.  NO WONDER I GET HOT SPOTS!!  How did this happened?!  I went to a very reputable store and person, at considerable expense, to ensure everything fit properly last year....oh well....I am fitted now and should be very comfortable.  I'll go out this weekend to find out....

It is too late to get different shoes--no one has my size in stock and I leave on Tuesday.  After having four kids, my feet are really wide and I have to special order my shoes.....and in men sizes.....  If you saw my current shoes,(the ones that are too big),  you would agree that they look like clown shoes.
That's what I get for not getting fitted sooner.  If I had done this 2 weeks ago, I would have new shoes today.....but then again, if I had done it 2 weeks ago, none of the changes made today might have been noticed.  So, I'll just roll (sic) with it, and see if I can order some shoes online and get them overnighted to me. If not, I will be fine.

Moral to this story--Don't wait until the last minute....plan your work and work your plan.  And if your plans do go awry, trust that all will be ok.  Flex and bend.

I Should Probably Start Packing.....

A week from today I will have just met the women with whom I will be riding.....a few hours after that meeting, we will begin our journey across the southern portion of America.  We will travel from 'sea to shining sea', literally.  I should probably be nervous; I should probably be packing......   I am neither.  I am calm, and quite looking forward to this sojourn, as I am sure it is going to be quite transformational.

When I originally registered for the ride, my intent was to be one of the faster riders, in the front of the pack; that is where I like to ride. I have never cared much for 'back of the pack' riding and socializing.  I like to go fast--my ego likes it, too.   Injury,holidays,illness and procrastination got in the way of my training for the trip, so being a 'faster' rider isn't a reality.  I am quite unprepared physically, but I am rather glad of that--it will force me to slow down. 

Being so results driven has deprived me of noticing all the small, but meaningful moments going on around me.  In chasing results, I fail to experience my experience.  I fail to make full connections with other people.  So my lack of preparation for this trip has allowed me to shift my intention from speeding through the terrain to savoring each moment--a real change for me.  I get to really drink it all in, fully experiencing my experience and  fully connect with the other women on the trip.

There will be thirty of us....thirty women pedaling 3100 miles in 58 days. I am looking forward to meeting each one.  In taking on this challenge, these are women who live life big, who have vision, and take committed action to achieve their vision.  These are not women who sit in front of the TV having the 'woulda, shoulda, coulda" conversation--these women are 'doers'. What adventures we are going to have!  

And while I am speaking about 'doing', first things first..... I have to pack......